From night to day. Valeriana was greeted by the busy air of the academy and she instantly felt a hum of excitement run through her. Femeron stirred in her arms and roused to a foreign environment that she seemed mildly confused. She looked up at Valeriana and stuck out her tongue, tilting her head to the side as though to question her.

"Don't worry," she told her. "We'll be here for a long time. I'm sure you'll love the Twelve."

Valeriana then turned to look at Vallore and Corvan. The drakon threw over his hood to hide himself from plain sight while Corvan was uncaring.

They finally made it in time for the duel. In fact, they were quite early. It was four hours before then; a lot of time to prepare. Valeriana took a deep breath and nodded to Corvan.

"What are you going to do first?" she asked him.

"I'll be looking for my team members for the duel. But, I plan on seeking out the headmaster to report on our encounter and also to talk with him regarding the drakon's situation."

"I'll come with you, then," said Vallore.

"Well, then, alright," she said. "I'll go look for someone I can give Femeron to."

'I'm not going to say this again,' Tamara's voice echoed. 'Keep watch on your children!'

She missed hearing Tamara's voice and chuckled softly. After giving Corvan and Vallore one last glance, she walked off with her baby dragon. The people around them gawked at the rare beast inside her arms, seemingly in utter disbelief as they looked on.

She entered the Help Desk building and found Keelan talking to an old man who had apparently lost his money. He looked skeptical and in pain as the old man ranted. She waited. When it ended, he breathed out a large sigh.

"Keelan!" she exclaimed.

He looked up at the call. "Valeriana!" He stood up and ran forward, wanting to crush her into a bear hug when he suddenly noticed the dragon in her arms. The people around them stared for a few moments, mainly at Femeron.

"By the gods!" he exclaimed. "Is this an Arlandian dragon? A baby one, too!"

"Um . . . yes," she replied.

"How did you get one?" he excitedly asked. "This is a rare beast! Definitely not seen since after the Great War!"

The people broke into a chatter. "Arland! A dragon! I thought they were extinct!"

"How did one get here?"

"Her name is Femeron," she said. "And I got her during the encounter with the twin-tailed lions. Can you talk with me for a second? Where are the other rankers?"

Keelan nodded eagerly. "The others are busy with their responsibilities at the moment," he said. "I'm sure they'll be free in two hours or so to watch the fight. Most of the others are still recovering from the duels."

"Okay. I guess talking will have to wait."

"Your dragon is getting a lot of attention," he told her. "How about we find someplace else that's away from privy eyes?"

"Oh, but aren't you busy with—"

"I have my aides for me. They'll be taking care of most business here."

"It's fine even if we don't leave. I won't take much of your time. Speaking of aides, I never knew you had any." She looked around them. Despite the extensive attention, they weren't bothered. "But, anyway, that's not important. I need someone to take care of Femeron for me while I duel. Don't worry, she's a good girl."

"Uh . . ." He looked at the dragon for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright trusting her with me?"

"Of course, I am." She continued cradling her dragon, whose big, innocent eyes were trained on Keelan. "Aside from that, the issues with regards to Avaro's pack had more to do with the ones we had with the Gilerads in Preluresia."

"Really? But I thought Arlandia was the last continent. Remember the riddle?"

"Yes," she said. "But the riddle wasn't what we thought it was. I want to discuss this with the Twelve." She paused. "Now that I realize it, I haven't told Corvan."

"I get that it's important." Keelan nodded. "But, for now, you have a duel. Why don't you finish up with that and I'll set up a Gathering later in your stead? It'll also be imperative seeing as we need to have the dress rehearsal for the band presentation tomorrow."

"You're right." She clicked her tongue. "But, didn't you say so yourself? The Twelve are seriously injured. Will they even be in the right condition to perform?"

"The core members of the band are Rowe, you, Corvan, Tamara, Charles, and Zion. It's a bit timely that the only ones injured severely are Zevlin, Raziel, and Brindon. I can still do my DJing."

"Yes, and you practiced the beats just in case, right? We'll need you to substitute for the live instruments missing."

"I'm fairly recovered. I just want to ask you and Corvan not to injure each other too much or else, we won't have a drummer and a pianist," Keelan blabbered. He was a bit talkative. "Especially you, Valeriana. You tend to be reckless. Besides, the outcome of the fight between you and Corvan will decide whether we get to play tomorrow. It doesn't matter if I practiced the beats, it won't be as lively."

"It's fine," she stated, shrugging. "It's not like I'm after the first-ranking position or anything. I just want to enjoy my fight with Corvan."

"That's good to know." Keelan beamed. "Now, go and find your team members. I'll take care of your dragon for you. What did you say her name was?"

"Femeron. Femella Heron Kerrigan," she told him, smiling. "Take care of my baby."

"That's a good choice."

She then looked down at her baby dragon. "Femeron, you should go with Keelan for now," she told her. "Mommy's gonna have to do some work, but you behave alright?"

The little dragon looked saddened.

"Oh please, don't cry. Big brother Keelan will be here for you. I'll be back soon. It'll just take a few moments."

After passing Femeron to Keelan, she immediately headed out and sought Team Five. She was quite sure they were still where they usually met, so she went to the Development Department and knocked on the doors to their sanctuary.

Conradine opened the door, looking utterly worried. However, when she saw Valeriana, she started shrieking with excitement and pulled her in without another word. "I am so glad you're here!"

Sai, Leticia, and Axel jumped. Zander looked beyond infuriated but remained silent. The entire Team Five was sent into a frenzy, as though the four hours remaining was not enough to do the final adjustments.

"By the gods! BY THE GODS!" Leticia squealed. "Where are the arm guards?! I put them here somewhere!"

"Sai! Amaranthine! Where in the name of Denovega did you put it?!" Axel growled.

"I don't know!" Sai screamed. "I'm going to the back room!"

Valeriana was clueless as she watched her entire team run around as though their pants were set on fire. It was so chaotic that she could not understand. It was only a few moments later that they were able to calm down and find the pieces of Valeriana's armor.

After asking Valeriana to put on Amaranthine, they began assembling. It was quite modernistic in away. The design was minimalistic and was clearly planned to be light. The assembling took more than an hour to fix in place. Putting on Amaranthine took a lot of time itself. The suit clung to her skin and was a bit hard to pull in place. There were wrinkles all over, but when they finally managed to fix her in place, it fit her body like second skin.

It was quite hard to look, to be honest. Her full figure was in full view that it made her a bit uncomfortable, but when they started putting on the plates, she started feeling better.

The reason why it took so long was because of the team's unhurried securing. There was a hidden weapon compartment on her leg guards that they had to load once it was on, so as to make sure she could easily pull them out.

"You know," she started. "If this was a battle, we would've long been dead."

"This fitting is done only for you and not for the convenience of a battle, but a duel," Axel said. "It's specially designed, but putting it on takes more than twice the time someone else would put on an ordinary armor because, as you can see, everything needs to be individually secured. It's to ensure mobility and protection without weighing you down."

"We don't regret it, though," Sai said. "Oh yeah, when inside the arena, you're expected to detach yourself from whatever business you personally have with your opponent. It's not a battle to the death. It's just a game. So don't hold back." He pulled on a leather strap at Valeriana's side, tightening her chest plate. Valeriana had to suck in a breath.

"Isn't that a little tight?" She winced.

"Sorry, not sorry. When you go out and battle, it's better tight than loose. This won't impede you very much, I'm sure. Besides, you'll get used to it. If not, you can tell me later and I'll adjust it for you."

"Okay, okay."

It was tight, but she wouldn't be comfortable if it was any looser. She flexed her muscles and twisted around the waist to test it out. It followed her movements naturally. She hummed in contentment as they strapped on her arm guards. After that, the boots came in next.

Like before, her hair was fixed in a bun, but the headgear they gave her wasn't what she wore before. Instead, it was very much like a circlet. It didn't seem much like an armor but it matched her clothes.

"What's this?" She fingered the crafted metal as they put it around her head.

"We thought the previous one we gave you was too big. This one is much simpler. Besides, after we observed the previous duels, we figured you won't need it much."

"Are you serious? I'm up against Corvan."

"Don't you have any trust in yourself?" Sai asked her. "You've been training in the academy for over four months. You've gone in battle with Zion and Courtney. They're worthy experiences."

"Yeah, and Corvan's been training his whole life," she told him.

"Not to mention," Leticia cut in. "No pressure. Just go out there and enjoy the fight. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose. Just put up a good one and at least give him a run for his money."

"Yes," Axel said. "No pressure at all in this fight. Just give us a good show. Besides, won't you be ashamed of making our efforts useless if you don't try your best?"

"Yeah, I know. I'll try not to disappoint you people, just don't expect a lot from me."

"Alright! We're done!"

Valeriana turned to look at herself in the mirror. They let an additional fabric drape around her waist to add a bit more flutter and feminineness to her getup. They had not been wrong. Now, she looked like a warrior.

"I am aware of what you're thinking," Conradine said.

"You look you can slay any battle," Axel stated.

"Of love," Sai added.

They looked at him.

"It's true!" he cried. "Trust me, you are very lovely."

"Um, thanks, but I prefer to look deadly. I'm not going out there to flirt."

"Really?" Leticia wagged her brows.

"Deadly? Hm-hmm . . . that depends." Axel thoughtfully gave her a once over.

"What?" Valeriana frowned at Leticia and Axel.

"I mean, Lord Corvan is very fetching, if you ask me. I bet he'd look more gorgeous when he goes all battle mode in the arena. There is a reason he was given the title 'Cold Prince', you know. Even though the name is a little bit lame, it fits his persona very much. He's cold and princely." Leticia giggled and batted her eyelashes as she elbowed Conradine by her side. They started squealing. "I wouldn't mind flirting with him."

"I am quite aware that with the way you are now, he wouldn't even spare you a second glance—if he looked at you at all in the first place," Conradine told her with a huff.

"Stop being mean." Leticia's glares bore holes on Conradine's face. "You talk as if he would look at you. Keep dreaming. He's a top-grade guy among top-grade guys, come on. He's nobility, he's handsome, he's good at everything he does, he's rich, he's famous . . . in the name of the gods! What else could you ask for?"

"A better attitude would be nice," Valeriana butted in, feeling annoyed. Even with that kind of attitude, that Corvan was a chick magnet. Damn him. "He's a jerk. You guys don't know him but the guy's a stuck-up prick."

"Well, I get where he's coming from. He does have something to brag about. There's nothing attractive about a guy who's all bark and no bite." Leticia chuckled.

"Can we stop talking about how perfect Lord Corvan is?" Sai interjected, frowning.

"Did we hurt your ego, Sai?" Leticia asked.

"Me?" He pointed at himself and puffed out his chest. "Why would you think that?"

"How about we stop talking about how perfect Lord Corvan is and hurting Sai's ego?" Axel suggested. "We still need to send Valeriana on a test drive with the whole thing. Not to mention . . ."

Axel ran to the back room where Valeriana figured they stored most of the equipment. He came out later, holding a very elegant sword with both hands. It looked very simple, but the sophistication was aesthetically-gratifying. The guard was not the regular design. It depicted the image of a dragon whose head stuck out to the right in a roar while its body curved down until its tail vaguely curls off on the side before the pommel. The crafting was smooth, and the blade was long and slender. Words were punched through its body, leaving gaps in between.

She took the blade from his hands and gawked over it.

"Passionate. Firm. Flowing. Free. Sincere," Valeriana read. "I'm surprised you actually did this. It could've been easier if you just carved them on the blade."

"It's lighter that way. We want to remove as much weight from it as possible to make you comfortable and faster while being stylish and deliberate about it at the same time," Axel said, smiling. "Do you like it?"

"Heck yeah, it's cool. What's it called?"

"I think it's finally worthy to be called the Empyrean. I hope you remember the values the elements symbolize while you fight, so I put them there."

"I know." She nodded. "Passionate like fire. Firm like the earth. Flowing like water. Free as the wind. Sincere as the soul."

Her heart was roused at the words and her spirit fluttered. A sense of inspiration hit her. The determination suddenly became overflowing that she wanted to start the fight right there and then. At that moment, it was as though nothing could stop her.

"Almost forgot." Sai took out gloves from a nearby box and offered it to Valeriana. "Those gloves won't work too well. You should wear these."

Valeriana accepted. "Okay."

"I gave you a box of those, what happened?"

"I still have the others. I just messed up the pair I had with me in Arlandia."

"Speaking of Arlandia." Leticia came forward once again and gave Valeriana a long, hard stare. "I heard something going on between you and Lord Corvan."

"Like an engagement!" Conradine squealed.

"Um . . . no. It's uh . . . not . . . no." She shook her head furiously.

"Who are you girls to butt in on her engagement? Let's just talk about something else." Axel pushed Conradine and Leticia aside before looking at Valeriana questioningly. "How did you do it?"

"How did I what?"

"How did you do it?!" Axel repeated, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "How'd you tame a guy like that?"

"There is no taming, now let go of me!" She pushed him off. "We went to Arlandia because of . . . issues that he needed help with.

"Then what was that engagement?!" they roared altogether.

"It's a misunderstanding," she said. "Okay? It's hard to explain but whatever rumors you're hearing, it ain't true."

"Let's just hope it is," Zander, for the first time ever, spoke. "We don't want you being unable to do your best because of feelings."

"Feelings? Who the hell even gets engaged within four months since they met? Huh? You tell me." Valeriana furiously stomped her feet and threw her hands in the air. "I won't say yes to a guy who can't propose sincerely. I have standards. I've never even had a boyfriend my entire life and you're telling me I'm engaged? What is up with you people?"

"Alright, alright. We give up." Leticia waved her hand dismissively. "Let's go and test out that thing you're wearing. The duel will be beginning in two hours."

"Let's get you some of my energy-boosting formula," Sai offered. "You like you're not on your top condition. What sort of mess have you gotten yourself in that made you look like that?"

"I fell down a volcano," she bluntly answered.

"Arland, is that true?"

"You don't even know half of it."